ESPN secures exclusive media rights to new games in expanded 24

Key Points:

• ESPN has secured exclusive worldwide media rights to the expanded 24-team College Football Playoff (CFP) starting in the 2027-28 season, extending through the 2031-32 season, covering all playoff rounds and ancillary programming.
• The new agreement increases ESPN’s coverage to 22 games per postseason, up from 11 games in the current 12-team format, including multiple games broadcast on ABC and continued rights to simulcast and MegaCast presentations across Disney networks.
• ESPN retains sublicensing rights, including an existing sublicense with TNT Sports, and Disney Advertising remains the exclusive seller of the CFP’s Official Sponsor Program, offering expanded branding opportunities.
• The expanded deal reinforces ESPN’s position as the premier home for college football, complementing its extensive college sports portfolio and following record viewership numbers in recent CFP broadcasts.
• The 2026-27 season will still use the 12-team format, with the CFP National Championship scheduled for January 25, 2027, in Las Vegas, before the transition to the expanded playoff structure the following season.